Reborn in the 1980s: I made my fortune hunting wild game in Changbai Mountain

When an eagle is caught in a net, if it falls from a high place into the net and then takes off vertically to escape when people come, there is a common saying that this is called "jumping into the well".

Eagles that can jump into wells are intelligent and physically strong individuals; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to make that escape maneuver.

After hearing Yue Feng's explanation, Li Guangkun's curiosity was immediately piqued.

Logically speaking, once such a top-quality eagle has escaped by jumping into the well, it's likely that it won't have any more opportunities. It wouldn't fall for the same trap twice.

Yue Feng grinned and replied, "It was also thanks to God's help. After the snow, this big blue dragon shouldn't have had a good time hunting! So it gave us a second chance!"

I went home with Grandpa Liu and the others, modified a bamboo strip into a net, and then set it up inside the self-trapping net.

That big blue dragon spent the winter in the pine forest and hollows by the reservoir. After its first failure, it didn't go far. Just as we secretly set up the mechanisms again, it came back!

"A self-trapping net?" Upon hearing this method, Li Guangkun swallowed hard, his face showing doubt.

"Yes! When faced with such an unpredictable and exceptional eagle, we have to use special methods!"
It's much harder to catch eagles in winter using hand nets! They actually have a better chance if they fall into a trap net and then swat at it!

We took a gamble, and we won!
You wouldn't believe how powerful this eagle is!

"How fierce is it?" Li Guangkun nodded and continued to ask curiously.

Grandpa Liu then interjected, "This big green dragon, on the first day of its illumination, only managed to produce one strip after a whole day and night, losing two qian of weight!"
Old Li and I took turns holding the hawk and training it for 23 days before it was ready to be put down!
The first rabbit snatched an old rabbit and pierced its throat!

"Holy crap! It's so hard!"

Upon hearing the specific data on weight loss and transformation into an eagle, Li Guangkun couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

When wild eagles are properly domesticated, they are usually trained to fly slowly, and if they encounter any difficulties, they will be able to land within ten days.

This large blue dragon's training time was more than twice as long, which shows how unruly it was and how tough its physique was.

Li Guangkun is an expert, especially in the small category of training eagles, where he has a wealth of experience and knows the intricacies of the training process.

As they spoke, the group soon arrived at the breeding cage area located in the southwest corner.

The original normal edge of the walkway was also covered with a red brick wall, with a small door with a padlock specially left.

"Grandpa, is everything inside blocked off?" Yue Feng asked.

"Yes, didn't you mention to Jianjun and the others last time that you needed to isolate and disinfect? ​​You've only been gone a few days, and they've already started doing it!"
Now, anyone who comes to the club's cage breeding area from outside must undergo disinfection.

"Xiao Li, this is your first time here. It's not that I, Lao Liu, am being disrespectful, it's just that our aquaculture management has standardized requirements!"

As he spoke, Xiao Ying Liu explained to Li Guangkun, took out his key to open the door, and then led everyone into the disinfection room.

"Hehe, Uncle Liu, you don't need to worry about this. I raise eagles myself, and I also raise a lot of chickens, ducks and geese at home. I know the dangers of infectious diseases!"

Li Guangkun didn't think there was anything wrong with disinfection at all.

Soon, Grandpa Liu took a sprayer off the wall.

He sprayed disinfectant all over everyone from head to toe, and then changed into the same 'uniform' as the gray robe that Grandpa Liu was wearing.

After completing the disinfection process, everyone was finally allowed to enter the cage area.

Little Eagle Liu led the group to see first the large blue dragon that had been released from its cage and had molted.

This prized piece of furniture now resides in a small, single room of about fifteen square meters, tethered to a vertical scaffold made from a living willow tree.

"Xiaofeng, you and Xiaoli take a look together and see how our big blue dragon is doing!" Grandpa Liu said confidently.

Yue Feng pushed open the door and took a quick look, and couldn't help but nod repeatedly.

Li Fulin kept the large blue dragon in a single room in a courtyard house, feeding it live food from head to toe. Under these top-notch conditions, the blue dragon was in perfect condition after molting.

After two molts, the new feathers have completely transformed the eagle into a three-year-old adult, with all its feathers replaced and each large feather covered with a faint layer of white frost.

At this moment, the Great Azure Dragon had recovered its strength and appeared quite calm in the face of the visitors.

"Wow, what a magnificent eagle! This eagle is truly amazing!!"

From the moment Li Guangkun saw the Great Azure Dragon, he couldn't take his eyes off it.

Li Guangkun could tell that top-tier falcons like the Great Black Hawk were extraordinary from their appearance, but he couldn't accurately describe in words what made them so good, because there was no comparison.

But this giant blue dragon in front of me is different.

The head and face design, body skeletal structure, stance, and the proportions of wings and talons are all top-of-the-line.

To put it bluntly, even if Li Guangkun harbored the greatest malice, he couldn't find a single flaw in the top-tier eagle in front of him.

This thing is like a perfect product that only exists in theory; even its aura and demeanor are completely different from those of a regular eagle.

"Can I help you with the support?" Li Guangkun asked after circling around for a long time.

"Take your hands anywhere, there are sleeves over there, help yourself!" Grandpa Liu replied.

Li Guangkun took the sleeve from the wall, walked to the scaffold, stretched out his arm and placed the Great Azure Dragon on his arm, then skillfully brushed the Great Azure Dragon's sword tail with his left index and middle fingers.

The great blue dragon merely swayed its tail casually twice, remaining quite calm and not finding the stranger's action offensive at all.

Seeing that the great blue dragon did not resist his touch, Li Guangkun mustered his courage and began to count the number of feathers on its tail.

Ordinary eagles have two caps on their tails, but this great blue dragon only has one cap. When the tail is fully tucked in, it looks like a stick.

A few seconds later, Li Guangkun exhaled a deep breath: "It really is a thirteen-tailed Azure Dragon! Coming to Beijing just to see this eagle with my own eyes is worth it!"

Yue Feng grinned: "Haha, it's not that exaggerated. It's just that we don't have enough time right now. Otherwise, we could easily take Daying out to find a place to play for a few days!"

Although the club manages and raises this eagle, it belongs to me! If I want to release it, or go out for a stroll and catch a rabbit or something, I don't need to ask anyone; I decide for myself!

Li Guangkun shook his head: "That's not appropriate. We have to wait until the important business is over!"

Judging from Li Guangkun's micro-expression, he was very tempted by Yue Feng's suggestion, but reason told him that now was not the right time, so he shook his head and rejected Yue Feng's proposal. "Alright, let's get down to business first, everything else can wait! Sir, did you set up this pole?"

Yue Feng nodded, his gaze fixed on the large blue dragon's stance as he inquired.

Little Eagle Liu nodded: "Yes, I did it. What do you think?"

"Using a live willow tree as a support, and managing to shape it so neatly, you must have put in a lot of effort, right?" Yue Feng asked.

"It certainly took some effort! Other eagles wouldn't be worth it, but the Great Azure Dragon standing on this pole is worth all the hard work!"

Li Guangkun chimed in, "Hehe, this willow bark has the perfect balance of softness and hardness—neither too soft nor too hard. The side with the bark texture is where eagles can sharpen their claws and wipe their beaks, while the bare, green bark side can protect the tips of their claws! It's truly a fine piece!"

"Haha! Little Li, you know your stuff! Using willow wood for the perch makes the best cage for this eagle!"
In a way, luck also played a part.

When I first made this perch, I just thought it looked nice; I didn't expect it to survive. But after I prepared the pole and buried it in the cage floor, it actually sprouted and took root!

Grandpa Liu met someone knowledgeable who spoke of the willow tree's eagle bark, and he was quite pleased.

"That's destiny! This pole was prepared for the Great Azure Dragon! The willow branches are something eagles often step on, so their claws won't get damaged!"

……

The group stayed near the large blue dragon's cage for about half an hour before Li Guangkun reluctantly tied the dragon back to the eagle bar.

After the group left the cages, they took them to other cages for a tour.

The baby rabbits, tigers, and eagles that hatched in spring have now been separated into different cages for rearing.

After receiving technical guidance from Yue Feng, these fledgling eagles have now largely given up their bad habit of howling for food. When they see strangers coming, they simply tilt their heads curiously to observe them.

Yue Feng casually whistled, and the little guy immediately cried out and flapped its wings, flying towards Yue Feng's arm.

Yue Feng reached out and patted the baby rabbit-tiger's head, then said with a smile, "Hehe, not bad, the little guy's feeding reflex has been consistently good!"
"Sir, what's the intensity of the training program for this batch of fledglings?"

"I go to the outdoor flight range at least five times a week, and each time it takes no less than an hour!"
Overall, these fledglings are in good physical condition, except for one, which was weak, fell ill several times, and was eventually culled!

"Elimination due to illness? What does that mean?"

During a casual chat, a remark unexpectedly brought up the issue of young eagles being eliminated. Yue Feng's relaxed expression immediately vanished, replaced by a serious and focused demeanor.

As apex predators, birds of prey have a relatively strong ability to resist pathogens. They hunt old, weak, sick, or disabled prey in the wild, which makes them prone to carrying pathogens, but they rarely get sick as a result.

When Yue Feng came to help correct their mistakes last time, he carefully observed and checked each of these fledglings, and found no weak individuals.

It's only been a few months since he last came, and one of the eagles has already fallen ill and been eliminated. Yue Feng takes this very seriously.

Little Eagle Liu thought for half a second, then said, "It's a male saker falcon in the cage near the southeast corner! I don't know if there's something wrong with its food or if it's infected with germs. At first, it started eating less, and then it started throwing its food away!"

When I made my daily record, I noticed something was wrong, so I gave the baby some oxytetracycline and other common antibiotics, but there was still no improvement.

After I noticed something was wrong with this falcon, I immediately isolated it in a separate cage and observed it for a few days. It grew increasingly thin, then started passing apple-green droppings, and finally died!

"What the heck? It's pooping apple-green poop?"

Upon hearing this key word, Yue Feng's heart skipped a beat, and sweat poured down his forehead instantly.

"Yes, it's light green feces! That color is very rare, I don't know why!"
I even asked the doctor in the neighborhood, but he didn't know anything about this. He said it could be due to a weak constitution, some kind of bacterial infection, or organ failure!

"How long has this been going on? Which cage was it in? What happened after the eaglets died?"

Yue Feng disregarded his emotions and asked for relevant information in a very serious tone.

Little Eagle Liu said, "The fledgling eagle got sick and died a month and a half ago! After this happened, I dug a hole and buried its body deep! I also disinfected the cage, water bowls, and food bowls with disinfectant!"
After that, everything was normal with the other eagles, so I didn't think much of it anymore!

However, the eagle was sick at the time, and there were daily records of its cage management! If you want to see the details, I can get you the records!

"Let me see the records!" Yue Feng immediately demanded the records.

Soon, Little Eagle Liu brought over the records of the daily management of the cages.

Yue Feng carefully reviewed the relevant records.

The day the symptoms of lethargy begin, medication is administered immediately and the patient is isolated. Continuous observation is maintained until the condition worsens, the patient becomes unable to stand, and the shape and odor of excrement are recorded. Then, the day of death is recorded. Although the handwriting is very messy, the records are very complete.

"What's wrong, Xiaofeng? Is there a problem?" Jinlong couldn't help but ask when he saw Yuefeng's serious expression.

By reviewing the records, Yue Feng discovered that the eaglet died within four days of being diagnosed with a problem, even with medication; the condition progressed remarkably quickly.

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s most likely Newcastle disease! Sir, before that fledgling eagle died, did it turn its head or spin around in place or exhibit any other strange behavior?” Yue Feng continued to ask in a very serious tone.

"I've never seen such strange behavior before, but after death, the corpse's neck is turned backward!"

"Then it's basically confirmed! This is because the virus has infected the nerves, causing it to habitually twist its head or unconsciously contract its muscles, resulting in this strange posture!" Yue Feng took a deep breath, his face looking very grim.

"Xiaofeng, is this new urban epidemic you mentioned very serious?" Jinlong continued to ask.

"Yes, that's impressive! It's all thanks to my last visit, when I emphasized the disinfection of the cages and the procedures for handling unexpected situations to the old man and Uncle Li."

Otherwise, all the eagles in our club's cage area would probably die!

This thing is similar to the chicken plague that used to circulate in the streets. It's highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. Once infected, the slightest negligence can wipe out the entire population; there's almost no chance of recovery!

Hearing Yue Feng describe it as so serious, even Grandpa Liu's eyes widened in surprise.

"So, timely disinfection and isolation burial cut off the spread of germs, which is why the other birds didn't have any problems?" Grandpa Liu asked.

"Yes! If you're in a group chat or have close contact without proper disinfection, you're 100% likely to get infected!"
We were so lucky! We almost wiped out the entire batch of fledglings from the spring!

When Yue Feng spoke, he had a completely different feeling, as if he had just survived a disaster. The casual atmosphere of the previous conversation had completely disappeared.

Li Guangkun, who had been silent until now, frowned and interjected, "If Newcastle disease is so severe, where did it come from? This thing can't just suddenly appear on its own, can it?" (End of Chapter)